Agitator



L.. J. WAHL AGITATOR Filed May '7,' 1925 March 5, 1929 Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATJES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO J. WAHL, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WAHL CLIPPEI CORPORATION,

OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

AGITATOR.

My invention relates to agitators and has for its object the provision.of an improved device to aritate the contents of a receptacle in such a nianner as to thoroughly mix the samo.

My invention is more particularly designed for use in connect-ion with the mixlure of such articles as are utilized in making mixed drinks or mixed articles of a similar manner such for instance as those which are sold at soda fountains and similar places.

I In making mixed drinks of this character, it is'customary to place various ini'rcdients in a rcceptacle some of which are in liquid form and thus by the process of agitation to int-ermix these ingredients so that a homogeneous whole is produced.

In my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 107,514, filed May 7, 1920, I show another form which this invention may take in i which the proper movement of the agitation is unlike that disclosed herein.

My invention concerns itself primarily with the provision of a mechanism in which a vibrating or oscillatory element is utilized in securing the mixture of the ingredients. To this end I utilize an electro-magnet con- 'tfrolling an varmature which electro-magnet is supplied with undulat-ory current thus to secure a t`o and fro movement of the arw mature. In the preferred form of the in- Gil vention I preferably supply alternating current of the commercial frequency of siXty oycies'to the electro-magnetthus producing one hundred and twenty (120) to and fro moven'ients of the agitating member per second. I find after considerable experimentation that I am thus enabled to secure the proper mixture of the ingredients by this very much simplified device.

I will explain one form which the invention may take more in detail by referring to the accompanying drawing in which;

` Fig. 1 is a-front View partially in section ofa device constructed in accordance with my :invention 2 is a similar view, certain parts being shown in a fragmentary way; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.'

My improved device as illustrated in the drawings comprises a standard 10 vof any suitable design which-may have a base 11 and to which is attached a supporting ele- Applicaton filed May 7, 1926. Serial No'. 107,513.

suitably adjusted in position upon the said standard by the set screw 20. Thisbracket 19 supports a housing 21 Within which the Operating mechanism is contained. The housino` 21 carries an electro-magnet consist-ing of the coils 22- 22 which are held lin place upon brackets 23 23, there being a keeper 24 for said electro-magnet. The electromagnet is providedl with an armature 25 suitably mounted upon a rod 2G which rod in its lower portion forms the agitator.

The rod 26 to which the armature 25 is The The bar V12 carries the The standard 10 also carries a bracket 19l fixedly secured is reciprocable in the bearings 27 and 28 so that as the armature 25 is: attracted to the pole pieces 29 of the electromagnet and retracted therefroin, the agitator portion 2G has a reciprocable up and down movement.

The arrangement is also such that the natural period of vibration Ofthe moving parts can be adjusted or altered or that the tensionunder which they are held when in their neutral position may be altered and this is brought 'about by means of two Springs, re-

spectively the Springs 30 and 31. The spring 30 presses against the armature 25 atone of its extremities and presses against i the bearingportion 27 at its other extremity. It Will be seen that the tension of this spring can be easily adjusted by rotating the bearing portion '27 after which it is secured in itsfixed position by the lock nut 32. The spring 31 presses against a cross piece 33 provided upon the bar 2G and also presses justs thetension of the springl after which the parts are held in their adjusted position by the lock nut 34.

The agitator bar 26 carries at its lower ex-v tremity a fin 35 suitably riveted to said bar vagi'ainstthe bearing portion 28.- Similar adjustment of this bearing portion 28 ladby the rivet 36. This fin has laterally projecting spring vanes 37 and 38, which in the form shown, project in opposite directions. The arrangement of the fin and vanes is such that when they are reciprocated, as herein disclosed, they will rotate the liquid and thoroughly mix the ingredients of the receptaclel` but Will not splash the contents.

As I have above stated, I have obtained very satisfactory results by the use of the commercial alternating current for energizing the electro-magnet 22. This commercial' alternating current is of the sixty (G0) cycle type which means that there arc one hundred and twcnty (120) pulsationspcr second so that the agitator bar makes one hundred and twenty (120) pulsations per second.

From What has been thus described, the nature of my invention Will be readily clear to those skilled in the art and it Will also be clear that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as covered by the appcnded i claims.

Having' thus deseribed my invention what I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the Character described having a support and means associated there- With adapted to carry a recept-aclc, vertically reciprocable means carried by said support. to agitate the contents of said receptaole, electro-magnetic means for actuating said rcciprocable means, resilient means normally holding said reciprocable means in a neutral position intermediate the extremes of its reciprocation and means for adjusting the tcnsion under which said reciprocable means is held in its neutral position.

2. In a device of the Character described having a standard and a support on said standard adapted to carry a receptacle, vertically reciprocable means carried by said standard to agitate the contents of said receptacle, electro-magnetic means for aetuating said reciprocable means, resilient means normally holding said reciprocable means in a neutral position intermediate the extremes of its reeiprocation and means for 'adjusting the tension under which said reciprocable means is held in its neutral position.

3. In a device of the Character described having a support and means associated therewith adapted to carry a receptacle, vertica'lly reciprocable means carried by said support to agitate the contents of said receptacle, electro-magnetic means for actuating said reciprocable means, resilient means normally holding said reciprocable means in a neutral position intermediate the extremes of its reciprocation and means for adjusting the tension under which said reciprocable means is held in its neutral position, said reciprocable means having laterally cxtending Vanes.

4-. In a device of the Character described having a standard and a support on said standard adapted to carry a receptacle, vertically reciprocable means carried by said standard to agitate the contents of said reccptacle, said reciprocable means havingr laterally cxtcnding vanes, each of said vanes having a vcrtically extending portion and a horizontally extending portion.

5. In a device of the Character described having a standard and a support on said standard adapted to carry a receptacle, vertically reciprocable means carried by said standard to agitate the contents of said receptacle, and electro-magnetic means for actuating said reciprocable means, said electro-magnetic means including a single armature fixedly secured to said vertically reciprocable means and electro-magnets on opposite sides of said reciprocable means cooperating therewith.

0. In a' device of the Character dcscribed having a support and means associated therewith adapted to carry a reecptacle, reciprocable means carried by said support to agitate the contents of said receptacle, said reeiprocable means having an up and down motion, said reciprocable means having an agitator comprising a flat strip secured substantially at its center to said reciprocable means and having portions adjacent its opposite ends extending substantially horizontally in opposite directions.

7. A device of the Character described comprising a receptacle adapted to contain a. liquid, and means for causing a rotational motion of said liquid, said means consisting of a reciprocatory element movablei substantially transversely of the plane of rotation of said liquid.

8. A device of the Character described coniprising a receptacle adapted to contain a liquid, and means for causing a continuous rotational motion of said liquid, said means consisting of a reciprocatory element movable substantially transversely of the piano of rotation of said liquid.

In witness whereof, I hereunto Subscribe my name this 19th day of April, A. D. 1926.

LEO J. WVAHL. 

